It is known to restrain cargo in the holds of ships using vertical stanchions that abut against stacked cargo pallets and other loads to keep these items from shifting laterally. Such a stanchion extends from floor to ceiling and includes floor and ceiling end caps that mate with corresponding fittings disposed, typically in a grid arrangement, on the floor and the ceiling of the cargo hold. A spring assembly within the stanchion allows the length to be temporarily reduced during the installation process, then extended to bias the end caps into the fittings, thereby locking the stanchion in place.
The stanchions must be able to withstand substantial horizontally applied loads from the cargo, which may shift during transit. Prior art metal stanchions that can withstand these loads with an acceptably minimal deflection have an I-beam or circular configuration in cross-section, but are prohibitively heavy. To reduce weight, hybrid stanchions made of a metal and a composite material have been used for this application.